October 27 is National Mentor Day
Gilbane Building Company Leverages a Variety of Mentoring Relationships to Build Culture, Grow New Talent, and Increase Diversity in the Construction Industry
National Mentoring Day, celebrated on October 27 every year, is a global event to promote mentoring to create pathways for professional growth and attract and retain talent. Mentoring is linked to increased employee satisfaction, reduced burnout, and higher employee retention. One study shows that 71% of employees with mentors state that their opportunities to advance at work are good or excellent, and 9 out of 10 report being happy with their jobs. Yet, 55% of workers say they don’t have a mentor, according to data from Pew Research Center.
“At Gilbane Building Company, mentoring is an essential part of our people-first culture. It creates opportunities for people to teach and learn, to guide and grow. And, it helps create a sense of belonging, a company where people want to build a career,” said Kyle Merrill, Gilbane’s senior business leader in Cleveland.
Mentoring is a passion for Keri Ash. In addition to her day job as a senior project executive at Gilbane in Cleveland, Keri mentors younger co-workers, serves on the board of ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland, counsels a small business owner through Gilbane’s Rising Contractors Program and acts as an advisor to empoWer, the employee resource group for women at the company.
“I really want to use my experiences, my knowledge, my hindsight, to help women like me who are hungry and want to move up and keep them on that path,” said Ash. “I had a lot of detours along the way, and I didn’t have that guide so I want to share as much as I can so women in our company can benefit and grow from that. That is my biggest mission right now.”
Courtney Thorne, a superintendent at Gilbane in Cleveland and a mentor for the ACE Mentor Program, credits Gilbane’s culture and her mentor, Keri Ash, for helping her build not only her knowledge, but her confidence: “I feel like having a person like Keri in the leadership position that she has speaks to the culture of Gilbane. She has flourished and makes a huge difference not only to me but to other people within the company too. I’ve learned from her how to be resilient, and I’ve gained knowledge of the industry, how business works, and how people work.”
Overview of Mentoring Opportunities at Gilbane Building Company
Employee Mentoring
Gilbane connects experienced leaders with rising professionals to help them grow and flourish in their careers. Gilbane’s seven employee resources groups (ERGs) help cultivate the mentoring relationship based on shared culture, identity, and experiences.
ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland
Gilbane is a founding member of the ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland, through which high school students, with the help of their mentors, learn about the architecture, construction and engineering fields and compete for scholarships. Today, Gilbane employees serve as mentors for two schools in the Cleveland area: Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Cleveland School of Architecture and Design, and Shaker Heights City School District High School.
RJ Frato, Jr., a project engineer at Gilbane, has worked with the ACE program for five years: “As an ACE mentor, I share what I’ve learned throughout my career with young people just starting out. I can give back to the community and offer additional support that I didn’t receive as a high school student,” said Frato. “It’s gratifying to see how much the students grow over the course of the year.”
ACE Transformative Partners
ACE Transformative Partners is a pilot program, extending the ACE Mentor model to college students. The goal is to help connect students to companies in the architecture, construction, and engineering industry and with yearly internships, as well as provide social-emotional support to succeed in college. It also provides the companies with an opportunity to develop talent early in their career, increase employee retention and community engagement.
Rising Contractors Program
Gilbane’s Rising Contractors Program helps diverse and disadvantaged subcontractors deepen their industry knowledge and skills and gives participants first-hand insight into working with Gilbane. After completing the eight-week program, graduates enter into a one-year mentorship with a senior Gilbane executive.
“We pair graduates with mentors who help them make their companies more competitive,” said Mark Cunningham, Gilbane’s Vice President and Director of Economic Inclusion for Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Michigan. “The goal is to help them grow and build their experience and capacity, giving them an opportunity to showcase their skills and to work not just with us but anywhere in the industry.”
The next Rising Contractors cohort is scheduled to begin in January 2024. For more information, visit: https://www.gilbaneco.com/partner-with-us/building/gilbane-rising-contractor-program/
More information about Gilbane’s people-first culture can be found in its most recent ESG report: https://www.gilbaneco.com/about/whats-new/news/gilbane-development-company-releases-2022-esg-environmental-social-governance-report/
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from preconstruction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build, and facility management services – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1870 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 45 office locations worldwide. Gilbane is one of the most established and leading construction managers in the Northeast Ohio market and averages more than $500 million in revenue in the state annually. For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.